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"Send it to Lute Village tomorrow. I will have someone pick you up at the entrance of the village. The transportation fee should be unnecessary, right?"
"No problem. You are my precious customer. You bought 100 monster eggs at one time. Of course, I will be responsible for the transportation costs. But before that, please allow me to introduce you to the relevant operations."
The slave trader took out a monster egg from the wooden box and pulled out a dagger that looked quite sharp. "You should be able to see the mark painted on the eggshell; please forgive me for my rudeness, but I need your blood to drip onto it."
"Good."
Jason didn't know the trader's eccentricities, so he immediately extended his hand toward the slave trader.
"Master Shield Hero is truly a man among men; as expected, you are straightforward enough."
After flattering him, the slave trader cut Jason's finger with the dagger. However, not only did Jason not bleed from the cut, but his skin wasn't even broken.
"Huh~~~ Could it be that the knife is too blunt?"
The slave trader frowned, raising his dagger in puzzled inspection. Under the light, it gleamed ominously sharp.
"Sorry, Mr. Shield Hero, perhaps I made a mistake in the operation. Please allow me to try again."
As the slave trader spoke, he cut Jason's finger again, this time applying more force. But the result was the same: there wasn't even a trace, and Jason didn't feel any pain.
"Strange, is it really blunt?"
The slave trader furrowed his brow and casually cut his own finger; blood gushed out immediately.
"Come, come, come, bandage me up!"
The slave trader now understood that Jason's defensive power was too high; he simply couldn't break through his defenses. The dagger was specially crafted to ensure that guests felt no pain when dripping blood; it had been enchanted to be extra sharp. Yet, it still failed to penetrate Jason's defenses. What kind of horror was he dealing with?
While bandaging his own finger, the slave trader stared at Jason in surprise, lost in thought.
"Forget it, I'll do it myself."
Jason shook his head in exasperation. What were these antics?
Reluctantly, he bit the skin of his finger with his teeth and squeezed out a drop of blood, allowing it to fall onto the mark on the monster egg.
A flash of red light appeared, and Jason found an icon of a monster messenger materializing in his field of vision. It contained various settings regarding the prohibited behaviors of the monsters.
It was similar to identifying a master but allowed for customizing what the monsters could or could not do.
After a moment of understanding, Jason selected the option [If you ignore the instructions, you will be punished].
After all, whether human or monster, obedience was the most important principle.
"It seems that Mr. Shield Hero, you have successfully set it up. This here is an incubator. Simply place the monster eggs inside it, and they will slowly hatch. Of course...you purchased 100 monster eggs, so matching 100 incubators will be included. You'll need to return them to me when the time comes."
The slave trader, his fingers now wrapped up, displayed a greedy smile.
"No problem; it's pointless for me to keep these incubators. But you must come to collect them yourself; I won't be sending them to you."
"Of course, I wouldn't dare to trouble you. After all, you are a brave man with the crucial mission of saving the world."
"And as promised before, none of these eggs are fake. If even one of the monster eggs fails to hatch, I will settle the score with you."
"Don't worry; if that happens, I promise to compensate you for all your losses."
The slave trader exuded confidence about the monster eggs he sold.
"Just don't try to pull any tricks on me; I don't think you want me to tear down your tent. Raphtalia, let's go!"
After Jason paid with gold coins, he took Raphtalia and headed out.
Instead of hurrying directly to Lute Village, the two found a nearby hotel to stay at for the night. It was already late, and they thought it wise to get some rest before embarking on their journey.
In the early morning of the next day, Jason and Raphtalia were awakened by the ruckus outside.
Through the window, they could see a bustling crowd surging down the street, all heading toward the palace.
The noise was too disruptive for them to sleep any longer, so Jason got up and made his way to the first floor of the hotel. "Madam proprietress, what happened outside?" he inquired.
"It turned out to be Lord Shield Hero! You woke up really early. It seems that the church was looted last night, and there were heavy casualties. The king did not investigate but issued an order to arrest the Pope. Everyone is very dissatisfied and is now protesting and demonstrating."
The proprietress turned her head to see Jason and hurriedly explained.
Upon hearing this, Jason immediately understood the situation. The turmoil likely stemmed from the order he had requested the king to issue the night before. The Church of the Three heros was the national religion of the country, and its followers lived throughout the land. The Pope held a high status in the hearts of the people, making it politically unwise for the king to arrest him without a compelling reason.
As for whether this might escalate into a confrontation between royal authority and religious power, Jason wasn't particularly concerned; he simply needed the king's assistance in locating the Pope. After all, as a traveler with no connections, finding someone in an unfamiliar country felt like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Oh, and there's also a rumor going around that His Majesty... well, let's just say his endowment is rather small and pitiful. I don't know how true it is. Lord Shield Hero, please don't mention that I told you," the proprietress said conspiratorially, moving closer to Jason.
"Don't worry, I won't tell the king," Jason replied with a slight smile. He was surprised at how quickly rumors spread in this world; it had reached an entire hotel within a single night.
If the king found out about this gossip, he would surely be furious.
"Also, Mr. Motoyasu seems to have gotten into some trouble last night and was arrested by the soldiers. Lord Shield Hero, do you know the details?" the proprietress inquired, her curiosity piqued.
Jason scratched his head, trying to recall the events. "Um... It seems that Motoyasu got drunk at the celebration banquet and inappropriately touched a female adventurer. That's probably why he was arrested."
"Ah... I can't believe it! Mr. Motoyasu always seems so gentlemanly, how could he do something like that?" the proprietress exclaimed in astonishment.
"Maybe people can be deceiving," Jason said with a smirk. "But proprietress, I have things to attend to, so let's not discuss Motoyasu in the village."
After saying this, Jason took Raphtalia and left the hotel.
As soon as he stepped outside, the proprietress turned to her husband and exclaimed, "I know why Mr. Motoyasu was arrested!"
"What? Motoyasu did such a thing? He's a scum, a beast! No, I have to tell Old Wang next door. His daughter has always looked up to Motoyasu, and a guy like that must not be allowed to mislead her!" the boss said, rushing out of the hotel.
"My dear, Old Wang isn't home right now; he's out participating in a demonstration. You'll need to find him at the entrance of the palace!" the proprietress shouted after him, recalling something important.
"Alright, I'll find him!" the boss called back without looking back.
Meanwhile, Motoyasu, unaware of the chaos surrounding him, sneezed hard while having breakfast in the palace. Wiping his nose, he brushed off the sensation, oblivious to how casually Jason had orchestrated his predicament.
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